Cross Flatts Park

I grew up in Cross Flatts Park, between 1953 and 1966 when I left Leeds. I wonder if anyone else remembers it the way it was then beautiful flower beds fed by the greenhouse between Preston Parade and the tennis courts, packed tennis courts at the weekends with players in gleaming ‘Persil’ whites [there were changing rooms then],‘parkies’ making sure none of us misbehaved! I even went to school there the park was our playground.
I returned to Leeds for a reunion in 2004 and was very distressed to see the state of the park at that time. I am glad to hear that that there would seem to be, in common with many other neglected parks in Britain, a revival.

Once a bit of a grim park, with vandelism and very few amenities, Cross Flatts Park has had a lot of input from the local community in recent years. It now boasts modernised play areas and basketball courts. There is a summer programme of bands in the park, held every Sunday throughout the summer months that provide free music for the community, from brass bands to steel pans. It also hosts the now annual Cross Flatts Park Festival, where there are country style competitions, stalls, art, entertainment and a variety of food available and community initiatives attending. Also in the summer months is the ever popular dog show, which caters for the traditional categories, as well as the funny ‘waggiest’ tail category.
There are also many opportunities to be involved in planting in the park, as well as regular clean ups, which will often end in tea and cakes!